Chamber Director Suzanne Williams Updates County Commission on Recent Grant Awards (View Video Here)

July 28, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Grants, grants, and more grants!

Suzanne Williams, Executive Director of the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce updated the County Commission Monday night on grants the county has received recently with more possibly on the way.

The most recent was a $50,000 Three Star Grant to create a commercial kitchen and meeting spaces for the newly constructed DeKalb County Agriculture Building located on the grounds of the DeKalb County Fairgrounds in Alexandria. The Chamber applied for the grant on behalf of the county with the help of County Mayor Tim Stribling and DeKalb Fair Association Manager Jeff McMillen

The county was also awarded a Three Star Grant grant earlier this year for new playground equipment in Alexandria made possible by the DeKalb County Government and the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber. The grant was sponsored by the TN Department of Economic & Community Development. Downtown murals were funded by a Tennessee Art Commission grant and a new Fiddlers’ Jamboree stage was secured thanks to a Tennessee Tourism Enhancement grant.

Director Williams said she is preparing to submit applications this week for a Tourism Marketing grant to fund a Fiddlers’ Jamboree Billboard on I-40 along with signage to help direct shoppers to the downtown Smithville business district, She will also be seeking another Tennessee downtown improvement grant.

July 27, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

Although he will remain a member of the county commission serving the fifth district, a frustrated Jerry Adcock announced his resignation from the budget committee during Monday night’s regular monthly commission meeting.

Adcock said he needed a break  and no longer desired to serve on the budget committee. “I have been on this committee for eight or nine years. I haven’t had a break or a real vacation in so long because these things (budget committee meetings) take more time than we need to worry about so I don’t want to do it anymore,”

The budget committee is made up of seven members including one from each district, Julie Young, Sabrina Farler, Jenny Trapp, Dr. Scott Little, Jerry Adcock, Jeff Barnes (Chairman), and Beth Pafford.

Adcock is clearly upset with the budget committee’s action last week to include funding for a few projects in the 2021-22 budget which he apparently feels are not needed.

Specifically, a proposed contribution of $39,805 to hire an additional full time employee with benefits at the animal shelter. The money is to go to and the employee is be hired by and under the control of the Coalition and not the county at the starting wage of $15 per hour. Adcock said many county employees don’t earn that kind of salary.

“The budget committee has approved (funding) to put somebody over at the dog pound to shovel poop for $39,000 a year total (insurance and everything). I know the budget comes up (for passage) next month but I believe we need to vote that (animal shelter funding) down and just give them $10 an hour like we do the employees at the (solid waste) convenience centers,” said Adcock.

Adcock also took issue with proposed funding of new vehicles for the EMS Director and Assessor of Property to use for official business. The budget committee approved a request by EMS Director Hoyte Hale for the funding of a new four wheel drive EMS SUV ($30,000) to replace a 2006 Ford Crown Victoria with approximately 160,000 miles. And for Assessor of Property Shannon Cantrell, the budget committee okayed a request to fund the purchase of a new pickup truck to replace a 2006 model with 180,000 miles ($30,000). Both vehicles would be paid for from the county’s Capital Projects Fund which is set aside for projects like that.

Last week during the budget committee meeting, Adcock argued that used vehicles could be purchased instead of new, suggesting that maybe even used sheriff’s department patrol cars being taken out of service might be an option. Adcock made a motion at that meeting to strip from the proposed budget the $30,000 expenditure for both the EMS and Assessor new vehicles. The vote passed 4-3.

Following that vote, Budget committee member Sabrina Farler moved that $15,000 be budgeted for the purchase of used vehicles for the EMS director and Assessor but that motion failed 5-2.

Budget committee member Julie Young then moved that the $30,000 request for new vehicles be restored for both the EMS director and Assessor and the measure passed 4 -3 as Adcock switched from being a no vote to a yes vote, apparently thinking that used vehicles might not be found for much less than $30,000.

Adcock later changed his mind again and renewed a motion at that meeting to remove the $30,000 funding for each vehicle from the proposed budget but the motion died for the lack of a second.

The county commission will meet in a workshop on August 10 at 6 p.m. to review the overall budget and then convene on August 17 at 6:30 p.m. in a special session to adopt it. If needed, the budget could be revisited during the regular monthly meeting on August 23 at 6:30 p.m. but it must be adopted and sent to the state by August 31.

There is no proposed property tax increase this year. While assessments have changed due to reappraisal, the county’s new certified property tax rate will be lower than last year dropping from $2.1235 to $1.7308 per $100 of assessed value but it is expected to generate about the same amount of local revenue as this past year.

July 26, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A Native American artifacts show will be held Saturday, July 31 at the Mike Foster Multi-Purpose Center from 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. and proceeds will benefit the Lighthouse Christian Camp. Admission to the event is free.

The artifacts show will feature displays ranging from arrow heads to pottery and some items will be available for sale or trade. “I think we have about 40-50 tables. We sell the table (space). It cost $15 for the table per person and that money goes to pay for all the expenses of the show and any money left is donated to the Lighthouse Christian Camp,” said Mike Foster, one of the event organizers.

“Tennessee has probably three or four major shows of this kind and this is one of them so we want to invite everybody to come to see the artifacts. I think you will be pleased with what you see”.

“We will have people who will be buying and selling as well as displaying their artifacts but a lot of trading also goes on between the collectors”, said Foster.

“I like shell beads so I will have a lot of them there along with bone work and tools they (Native Americans) used but I guess the main attraction is flint including arrow heads, spear points, and things like that but there will be some pottery too. I even have a wooden bow from the 1600’s time frame. We’ll have collectors here from Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama among others”.

“You can probably go to any museum in the state of Tennessee and you won’t see the amount of quality and the number of artifacts you will see there. It’s really enjoyable for people who like history or artifacts and it’s free so come on out Saturday because you’ll see some really good collections,” Foster concluded.

The show is sponsored locally and by the Volunteer State Archaeological Society, a non-profit educational organization devoted to the study of prehistoric America. This society is one of the largest of the independent state societies affiliated with Central States Archaeological Societies.

For more information contact Mike Foster at 615-418-5957.

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